The present invention relates to an information carrier for a navigational device in a motor vehicle.
In conventional navigational systems, the driver is given driving instructions which are essentially limited to information concerning distance and direction. These driving instructions are clarified by optical illustration on a map. One information carrier for a navigational device is described in the journal Teletraffic, Telepublic-Verlag GmbH and Co. Medien KG, Hanover, June/July 1998 edition, page 20 ff. Data are stored which permit projecting a three-dimensional scene having those buildings drawn in which are supposed to simplify the user""s orientation. In the immediate vicinity, a conventional map illustration is brought up. This illustration still differs from what the user would really see. Then, too, using this system, the user requires time to orient himself.
The example information carrier according to the present invention has the advantage that designations and/or descriptions of prominent objects in the vicinity of the road network are stored in the information carrier. The designations and/or descriptions can be output acoustically. Prominent objects include, monuments. In this connection, it may be sufficient to call such a prominent object by its designation, e.g. xe2x80x9cpost officexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cstationxe2x80x9d, or one may broaden the designation, e.g. xe2x80x9cred residential homexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cblue factory buildingxe2x80x9d. The concept of description is supposed to include such broadened designations. If such prominent objects are output by a navigational device as driving directions, it makes the user""s orientation during the trip easier in road traffic, by virtue of the prominent and therefore not difficult-to-recognize objects in the vicinity of the vehicle. Owing to the acoustical read-out, the driver does not have to look away from street traffic and concentrate on a screen. Owing to the high recognition value of a prominent object, even at greater distances, as a rule, an exact distance statement in meters can be omitted, since for many users it would be difficult to comprehend anyway in street traffic, especially in an area not known to the user.
As a result of the measures specified in the dependent claims, advantageous further refinements and improvements of the information carrier, indicated in the main claim, are possible.
It is especially advantageous that video data on the prominent objects are stored in the information carrier, and that these video data can be output optically. This offers the advantage that an optical indication of the prominent object can appear in support of the acoustical read-out. This can make the user""s orientation easier as compared to a purely acoustical read-out, particularly when there is loud extraneous noise.
It is furthermore advantageous that the geographic position of the prominent object is stored on a digital map in the information carrier, next to the position of the prominent object. This makes it possible to include objects which are not directly in or at the road network, but lie away from it, as, for example, a terrain elevation.
Furthermore, it is advantageous to use a navigational device for navigating a motor vehicle in a road network together with the information carrier whereby driving instructions can be acoustically output, if designations and/or descriptions of the prominent objects are linked to directional information and locality relationships, such as, for instance, xe2x80x9cturn right, after the red brick churchxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cturn left in front of the main stationxe2x80x9d. Since the driving instructions contain references to these prominent objects, the driver receives a driving instruction such as is common in everyday language, and as would take place in route descriptions among people. That makes it easy to understand and does not require great powers of abstraction.
It is also advantageous to supplement directional information by an optical read-out of the prominent objects. In that way, the user gets still more information on the specified direction besides the additional optical information.
It is also of advantage that the data on additional prominent objects can be made available, including their position, to the digital map of the navigational device via a mobile data carrier and/or a radio connection. This makes it possible for oneself to generate driving instructions, particularly while using an additional computer. These data can be used for stretches of road for which no data are stored in the information carrier or for stretches of road reaching the destination, particularly on the last portion of the trip, for which the available data are not exact enough. Such a case can arise, for example, when one is trying to reach a home in a residential area or a company in an industrial area. In addition to that, it is possible to connect the designation and/or description of additional prominent objects with advertising data.
Another advantage is that additional data on prominent objects can be received from a service control point by radio connection. So it is possible to receive via radio up-to-date or also, if necessary, more precise data than are stored in the information carrier. By doing that, the storage requirement in the vehicle can be reduced.
It is of further advantage that at least a part of the navigational device can also be taken out of the motor vehicle as a mobile part, so that it can also be available to other traffic participants, such as pedestrians